Ice refrigerator



April` 17, 1945. A, C, LEGERE 2,374,159 ICE REFRIGERATOR Y l Filed oct 14,` 1942 Patented Apr.` 17, 1945 .IcaIanrinoium'ron.l f.

Alderic C. Legereueachrnont, Mass., assigner to f Industrial lEngineering Corporation, Boston,

` Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application october 14 ,1942, snal'vNo. 461,910

zlolaims'. (elles- 5411" taining a lower temperaturein thelrefrigeratorl andreducingthe amount of ice required,;.a1l of 4whichresultsiin superior operation-.at less cost. The ordinary `ice` refrigerator employs atdrain for directly conducting the waste ice waterto the. outside where any coolingeifect left therein islost. Attempts have been made to trap this ice .waterland utilize its cooling effect-'in vthe refrigerator` beforeipassing it to thevoutside but thes'erattempts have not been such as to gain commercialsuccess and recognition. My invention contemplates a novel construction and arrangement for so conducting this ice water along the walls o f the refrigerator as to utilize its cooling effect to the maximum degree in maintaining the refrigerator at a substantially lower temperature thereby reducing the ice melting speed and increasing the efficiency of the refrigerator.

The invention contemplates a refrigerator in which the ice water is conducted from the ice compartment to and over the walls lining the storage compartment. In the preferred construction, alayer of the ice water is provided at the top, bottom and side walls of the storage compartment and the lwater is conducted over these areas as the'ice melts and is permitted to escape at an overflow drain only after its cooling effect has been utilized to the maximum degree;l The production of such an improved and superior ice refrigerator comprises the primary object of the invention.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a reifrigerator. embodying my invention. the view being taken on line I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing a modiflcation of the refrigerator illustrated in'Figa l n wall 24 and'bottom-wall 2 6 of the storage compartment as comprising a double walled liner embodying inner and outer Walls v21 and 28 held in spaced relation by separator studsy or blocks 30. Shelves 3'I are; supported onthe inner walls 21 or in any convenient manner.v Arperforatedv ice supporting floor 32 is provided in the ice compartment over the top wall 24. The outerwall 28'of the liner at Vthe-top wall slants rearwardly toward the open top end sacri-a pipes@ which v extendsv downwardly and has its bottom end 35 in communicationv with the linerat the bottom wall 26. -Asecond pipe 36 has its topl end 31 in communication with the linerat the' top wall. This pipe extends downwardly and out of the refrigerator at 36 where it can discharge into a drip pan 40.

The melting Water from the ice 42 drains onto the top wall 28 from which it enters the pipe 34 and passes down to the liner at the bottom wall. 'I'he end 31 of the pipe 36 is somewhat lower than the end 33 of the pipe 34 whereby producing a slight water pressure causing the water to travel upwardly through the liner as indicated by the arrows.v Itwill also be noted that the end 31 of the pipe 36 is slightly above the inner wall of thev liner at the top 24 whereby always leaving a layer of water on the inner Wall.

The ice water passing through the liner absorbs heat from the chamber I8 and is warmest where it passes outwardly through the pipe 36. The interior of the refrigerator is kept constantly cooler by thus lining the chamber with this ice water thereby reducing the ice melting speed and rendering the storage compartment more efficient.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a modification of the form of invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The chamber inthe double walled top liner 6.0 is independent of the chamber in the liner 62. The liner 62 is continuous over the side and rear walls :and the bottom wall of the storage compartment in like manner as the liner illustrated at 22 and 26 in Figs. 1 and 2. The outer wall of the top liner and the ice supporting wall are perforated at 63 to permit passage of Water from the melting ice into the top chamber at 60. A pipe 64 l that a layer 68 of this ice water is trapped in the chamber directly from the melting ice and is maintained inlcontact with the top liner wall of the storage compartment I8 whereby keeping this wall substantially to the temperature of heat from the storage compartment and ap.

proaches the overiiow pipe 65.

The construction, advantages :and economies oi my invention are believed to be clear and fully apparent.

Having thus disclosed my invention What'I claim as new and desire to secure by Patent of the United States-is:`

Letters 1. A refrigerator comprising a housing having I a food storage compartment therein and an ice compartment above the storage compartment, the front wall of the housing having; a relatively large openingl therethrough intov the storage compartrnent, a, door for closing the opening, means for receiving ice water from the ice compartment and maintaining a layer thereof continuously over the area at the top: extremity of the storagecompartment, means for maintaining a layer of said ice water continuously over the area atthe bottom extremity of the storagecompertinent, a pipe for conducting overflow ice water from the first named meansrto. the. second named meansmeans in communication with. the

second named means for receiving4 ice. water U therefrom and maintaining a layer thereof continuously over the areas at the rear and two adjacent side wall extremities of the storage compartment, and a pipe for conducting overiiow water from the top portion of the third named means to the exterior of the housing, the third named means being the sole means for conducting said ice water from the second named means to the second named pipe.

2. A refrigerator comprising a housing having a food storage compartment therein and an ice compartment above the storage compartment, the front wall of the housing having a relatively large opening therethrough into the storage compartment, a door for closing the opening, a

double walled water-conducting liner within the housing at and extending along and forming a continuous heat. absorbing chamber about the areas at the rear and two adjacent side wall extremities of the storage compartment, means forA conducting, ice water. from the ice compartmentI to the bottom portion of said chamber, the chamber having no other communicationv with the ice compartment, and means for conducting overow water from the top portion of the cham.- her to the. exterior .of the housing, wherebythe walls at said rear and side areas of the storage compartment are kept at .relatively low temperature by the ice, water throughout .a continuous passage. thereof through the chamber from ythe ice. compartment at near meltingA ice temperature. tothe overflow Water conducting meansat relatively higher temperature.

' ALDERIC C. LEGERE. 

